Apparently the sun emits its strongest light in the green part of the spectrum. Green light harmonizes and regenerates. Which is truly apt for a green colored mantle with Janet’s yellow hair acting like the sun 💚💚
That's extraordinary, thank you for sharing x it puts me in mind of Hildegard von Bingen's "viriditas" —the greening power of God's light/word, to her, the green vitality of life and of spiritual health, which leads me on to thoughts of the green language of the alchemists, also called the language of birds, thought to be the language of all creation, a kind of unifying language; which as I hear the birds outside my windows this sunny morning, I do believe is true in the beaks of swainson's thrushes and wrentits, as well as in all the other holy unseen tongues x
Lovely, Sylvia. I feel like, in the face of a doe standing still in the meadow this week, unflinching and eye to eye with me, a sense of Brigid called me back from the edge of something, reminded me of borders I have already crossed and why. I don't know this story of Tam Lin well but will be listening into it.
Thank you Andrew, and for that image of the doe... They bring such profound otherworldly and also very much of this world peace, those doe eye encounters. Mantling. It's a magic old story, I hope you enjoy.
Oddly, I'm realizing that I had a close doe encounter in the last week too, in a very powerful moment of thought. And then her yearling daughter, and then a fawn! Holy ones. I think of Rilke's 8th elegy about the animals who are always turned toward God, toward life. Something like that... x
This tale has accompanied me for a few days now, growing in me. One thing that touches me deeply about it is Janet’s trust. In the middle of the night, as he was being transformed into monsters, she trusted Tam Lin’s words, she trusted his true nature that was beyond appearance, and she knew he wouldn’t harm her. That true nature I think is what the queen of Faries refers to in the end when she says that she would have taken his heart of flesh if she had known better. That capacity for trust, for love, for compassion, for facing her fears is what makes Janet win her true love. That together with her willingness to go back to the forest to seek the truth, to dig in, and the wisdom to take things for what they truly are and not for what they look like. May we all learn from her. May we all cultivate the heart to wrap others with our green mantle.
Yes, this is one of the most powerful elements of the story-song to me too, Roberto. Janet floors me, with her courage, her devotion, her strength, her independence and also her profound surrendering love. She's a heroine of mine, one to follow the lead of. Her mantle is rather Marian, in my opinion. I also love the reminder in this story of the sheer power of human love. It's a power that cannot be overcome even by the queen of the fairies; it's a capacity she envies. It reminds me of the old English fairytale, The Midwife of the Fairies, which I first heard Dr. Martin Shaw tell many years ago, and after that explored and wrote my own version, because I was so moved by this idea that the fairy-woman, in the story, needs a human midwife to help her birth her child. We may not be immortal. but in this is one of our most stunning strengths. To love, despite everything. Right in the face of every conceivable loss, and change, and mortal wound. The fairies know this. Janet shines with it. Thank you for your reflections, Roberto!
Thank YOU. I could not agree more. It seems like you are giving me another tale to work on. I've found references to your version, "The Midwife of Temescal", but so far, no luck in finding the actual story, except for an excerpt that someone shared in a blog article from Dec 2016. Is it possible to find it now a days?
The green mantle is blessing and protection. Your writing is also a green mantle. Thank you for taking us all under it while we listen to you, or read your words. That is at least how it feels to me.
You have a lovely singing voice Sylvia. Thank you for sharing the ballad lyrics and tune. I had never heard of it before, but it reminded me of the title of an old book called Green Mantle by John Buchan which used to sit on one of my mother's shelves. I never did read it myself but as Buchan was a Scot I imagine there is a likelihood he took the title from the ballad.
Apparently the sun emits its strongest light in the green part of the spectrum. Green light harmonizes and regenerates. Which is truly apt for a green colored mantle with Janet’s yellow hair acting like the sun 💚💚
That's extraordinary, thank you for sharing x it puts me in mind of Hildegard von Bingen's "viriditas" —the greening power of God's light/word, to her, the green vitality of life and of spiritual health, which leads me on to thoughts of the green language of the alchemists, also called the language of birds, thought to be the language of all creation, a kind of unifying language; which as I hear the birds outside my windows this sunny morning, I do believe is true in the beaks of swainson's thrushes and wrentits, as well as in all the other holy unseen tongues x
Lovely, Sylvia. I feel like, in the face of a doe standing still in the meadow this week, unflinching and eye to eye with me, a sense of Brigid called me back from the edge of something, reminded me of borders I have already crossed and why. I don't know this story of Tam Lin well but will be listening into it.
Thank you Andrew, and for that image of the doe... They bring such profound otherworldly and also very much of this world peace, those doe eye encounters. Mantling. It's a magic old story, I hope you enjoy.
Wow, I was eye to eye with a doe on the edge of the woods this week, too.
Someone's calling us, brother and sister, and won't say who...
Oddly, I'm realizing that I had a close doe encounter in the last week too, in a very powerful moment of thought. And then her yearling daughter, and then a fawn! Holy ones. I think of Rilke's 8th elegy about the animals who are always turned toward God, toward life. Something like that... x
Beautiful! And though spelled differently, the mantel is also the heart of the home, the portal surrounding that hearth of fire.
Oh my of course! I don't know how I forgot, that's such a beautiful reminder, thank you xx
This tale has accompanied me for a few days now, growing in me. One thing that touches me deeply about it is Janet’s trust. In the middle of the night, as he was being transformed into monsters, she trusted Tam Lin’s words, she trusted his true nature that was beyond appearance, and she knew he wouldn’t harm her. That true nature I think is what the queen of Faries refers to in the end when she says that she would have taken his heart of flesh if she had known better. That capacity for trust, for love, for compassion, for facing her fears is what makes Janet win her true love. That together with her willingness to go back to the forest to seek the truth, to dig in, and the wisdom to take things for what they truly are and not for what they look like. May we all learn from her. May we all cultivate the heart to wrap others with our green mantle.
I’m very glad that we have time for tales.
Yes, this is one of the most powerful elements of the story-song to me too, Roberto. Janet floors me, with her courage, her devotion, her strength, her independence and also her profound surrendering love. She's a heroine of mine, one to follow the lead of. Her mantle is rather Marian, in my opinion. I also love the reminder in this story of the sheer power of human love. It's a power that cannot be overcome even by the queen of the fairies; it's a capacity she envies. It reminds me of the old English fairytale, The Midwife of the Fairies, which I first heard Dr. Martin Shaw tell many years ago, and after that explored and wrote my own version, because I was so moved by this idea that the fairy-woman, in the story, needs a human midwife to help her birth her child. We may not be immortal. but in this is one of our most stunning strengths. To love, despite everything. Right in the face of every conceivable loss, and change, and mortal wound. The fairies know this. Janet shines with it. Thank you for your reflections, Roberto!
Thank YOU. I could not agree more. It seems like you are giving me another tale to work on. I've found references to your version, "The Midwife of Temescal", but so far, no luck in finding the actual story, except for an excerpt that someone shared in a blog article from Dec 2016. Is it possible to find it now a days?
The green mantle is blessing and protection. Your writing is also a green mantle. Thank you for taking us all under it while we listen to you, or read your words. That is at least how it feels to me.
Having just read a brief summary of the plot of the novel, I suspect that there is little similarity between the two green mantles!
You have a lovely singing voice Sylvia. Thank you for sharing the ballad lyrics and tune. I had never heard of it before, but it reminded me of the title of an old book called Green Mantle by John Buchan which used to sit on one of my mother's shelves. I never did read it myself but as Buchan was a Scot I imagine there is a likelihood he took the title from the ballad.